US Navy ‘Doc’ Only Medic for Miles in Remote Western Anbar

He’s a pillar of health, literally. At 6’3” and 210 pounds, armed with six years of college and eight years of military experience, Petty Officer 2nd Class John H. Holscher is a veritable tower of care and comfort for the people here, regardless of nationality. Not that any of them have a choice, because the next nearest medic is more than 100 kilometers away. 'The biggest challenge to being out here is being the only doc. [Iraqi] medics depend on me to train them, Iraqis patients depend on me, taking care of the Marines, going on every patrol, and then the villagers, I can’t take care of them all,' said Holscher, corpsman, Border Transition Team 4222. (Photo by Cpl. G.P. Ingersoll, Multi National Force - West.)

Petty Officer 2nd Class John H. Holscher spent the day here performing dental exams on Iraqis like this little girl Oct. 24. He’s a pillar of health, literally. At 6’3” and 210 pounds, armed with six years of college and eight years of military experience, Holscher is a veritable tower of care and comfort for the people here, regardless of nationality. Not that any of them have a choice, because the next nearest medic is more than 100 kilometers away. 'The biggest challenge to being out here is being the only doc. [Iraqi] medics depend on me to train them, Iraqis patients depend on me, taking care of the Marines, going on every patrol, and then the villagers, I can’t take care of them all,' said Holscher, corpsman, Border Transition Team 4222. (Photo by Cpl. G.P. Ingersoll, Multi National Force - West.)

Dispatches from the Front:

BORDER FORT NINE, Iraq, Nov. 1, 2008 -- He can be an intimidating sight to his patients, but as the Border Transition Team 4222 corpsman, he’s always there to help.

At 6’3” and 210 pounds, Petty Officer 2nd Class John H. Holscher is a veritable tower of care and comfort for the people here, Iraqi and American.

Not that any of them have a choice, because the next nearest medic is more than 100 kilometers away.

“The biggest challenge to being out here is being the only doc. [Iraqi] medics depend on me to train them, Iraqis patients depend on me, taking care of the Marines, going on every patrol, and then the villagers, I can’t take care of them all,” said Holscher.

With a squad of Marines, a handful of interpreters, hundreds of Iraqis and countless civilians to care for, it’s a surprise ‘Doc’ Holscher doesn’t crack under the pressure. His cool demeanor and “can do” attitude were forged from his first deployment.

He wasn’t yet a petty officer when he deployed aboard the USS Comfort.

“It was the opening day of [the invasion into] Iraq, the USS Comfort was there for the first casualties of the war,” said Holscher, 28, New London, N.C.

Holscher said his team treated 75 patients in 20 minutes. He said it seemed like service members flying on the casevac helicopters had only enough time to pass casualties into the arms of corpsmen and take off again, due to the sheer volume of incoming calls for help.

"It was an intense learning experience,” said Holscher

Holscher’s life experience aboard ship complements his educational experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in health science, and spends much of his downtime at Border Fort Nine reading field medical manuals.

He’s not just a good student of health, the combination of study smarts and street smarts has made Holscher a good teacher, Marines here said.

“He spent extra hours training us in [combat lifesavers], so if he wasn’t around we would know how to treat multiple things, or if he went down,” said Capt. Will D. Whaley, operations officer, Border Transition Team 4222.

Whaley said there was a memorable moment in training when Holscher “went down.”

“During our [pre-deployment training], we had an index of all our medical training,” remembered Whaley. He said the team was conducting a training patrol through a mock city when they took ‘contact’ from instructors posing as insurgents.

“And of course, the corpsman is the first one to go down,” said Whaley, 32, Phoenix, Az.. Holscher had been pegged as a “casualty” in order to test the team’s medical know-how.

“All I remember is fireman’s carrying his big [body], and running him into doorways, he was hard to get through doors,” Whaley said, laughing.

That’s not the only time the Marines tested Holscher’s mettle. It was also during pre-deployment training that the Marines tested his marksmanship.

He and the team’s commanding officer went toe-to-toe for rifle competition with a Russian Dragonov sniper rifle, said Gunnery Sgt. Rob T. Mantilla, operations chief, BTT 4222.

Of all the other navy corpsmen who took part in the training, Doc was one of the best shooters, said Mantilla. “He could tear the center out of a target.”

Mantilla said the competition was tight, but in the end Holscher took the prize: a can of sardines.

“What kind of prize is that? A can of sardines? And to top it off, they stunk up the hooch that night eating them,” Mantilla said.

Marksmanship isn’t the only reason Marines here describe him as a straight shooter. Straightforwardness, patience and knowledge are a few of the traits Mantilla said Holscher displays out here.

“Of all the docs in [advisers training group], he has the most experience, he’s a straight shooter and I trust him,” said Mantilla. “It’s got to be hard being the only sailor out here with a bunch of Marines, but he’s earned his right to be here, they didn’t just hand it to him.”

A tight knit unit of Marines, far away from the forward operating base, can be a hard group to get along with, said Mantilla.

The respect and brotherhood also have something to do with Holscher’s ‘never say die’ attitude.

“I bring the experience that the human body can endure a lot, it can take a beating and it can survive, and there’s always hope, there’s always one more thing you can do for that person, there’s never ‘I quit,’” Holscher said.

That’s why the Marines here love him.

It’s not just because he can shoot. It’s not just because he’s straightforward or knowledgeable.

It’s because they know if their lives are ever in his hands, he’ll never quit.

(Report by Cpl. G.P. Ingersoll, Multi National Force - West.)

Tags: DOD, War, Military, GWOT, terrorism, al Qaeda, al Qaida, Middle East, Operation Iraqi Freedom, United States, U.S., coalition, Iraq, Dispatches from the Front, Multinational Force
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Head of Joint Chiefs Highlights Keys to Defense

Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen addresses students assigned to the Air War College Oct. 28 at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. Admiral Mullen is the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (Defense Department photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley)

Focus on Defense:

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala., Nov. 1, 2008 -- The nation's top military adviser completed a whirlwind tour of several Baltic States earlier in the month and addressed an array of topics to Air Force leaders Oct. 28 here.

From cooperation with allied countries to the care of fallen military members' families, Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed gatherings of students from across Air University.

Among other things, he emphasized the need for open, ongoing dialogue among countries.

"We've got some 60 countries represented here at Air University," the admiral said. "These countries send their best people, many of whom may end up leading their military. We send our best talent here as well."

The benefit in such a setting lies in the personal relationships built between American and international officers, he said. As an example, the admiral talked about a senior U.S. Navy officer who attended India's war college and became friends with his classmate, the head of the Indian navy. When the tsunami hit Indonesia in 2004, the friends were immediately in contact.

"That cut through enormous bureaucracy," Admiral Mullen said. "It facilitated working together in ways no one ever imagined."

Throughout the day, the admiral addressed Air Force officers and their joint and international counterparts, the latter of whom are enrolled at Air University under cooperative programs with their respective countries.

Cooperation across the board is increasingly important, especially during times of radical change, he said.

"We live in a time of enormous change. You are at the heart of that change," he told officers at Air University's Air Command and Staff College.

Referencing the implications the ongoing financial crisis has for the military and the change it may require in the near future, Admiral Mullen reminded officers of their duty to be fiscally responsible while maintaining the best possible defense.

"Our bottom line isn't profit or cost, it is the defense we provide this country," he said.

And it isn't just about implementing programs, the admiral said.

"Spend time on output, not just input," he said. "That's how we make a difference. Particularly, if the budget comes down, we need to know what best to output."

The admiral went on to detail how integration among the services and other branches within the government is essential for the best possible output.

"We need to be thinking about making the joint force better, but not just where I am," he said, calling Maxwell AFB one of the best places for officers from all branches to obtain joint experience.

Specifically, the admiral encouraged students to implement ideas developed at the academic level.

"What do we do with the great thought that happens here?" he asked.

The admiral encouraged the student officers to take what they learn at Air University and apply it for the betterment of such initiatives as care of military members' families.

"Family support has always been critical (to the armed forces)," he said, adding that it is better now more than ever before.

The chairman held up the Air Force as an example for how to best address the issue of family support.

When it comes to supporting military families, "the Air Force does it better than anybody else," he said.

"That doesn't mean the Air Force does it all exactly right," he added. "But, as I benchmark the service and support for families, the Air Force does it best."

"You couldn't do what you do without your families," the admiral told officers in attendance.

And, he added, family should top the list of leaders' concerns because it is inextricably linked to the health of the force as a whole.

"If we don't take care of our people and their families, they are going to walk away," he warned.

Concluding his visit, the chairman referred to the difficulties the Air Force has seen in the recent past.

"The Air Force has been through a lot in the last year or two," he said. "But I was really impressed with the leadership here and the spirit of the students. I am very encouraged by that. I talked to each group today about leading. These are our current and future leaders in the Air Force and I am very encouraged by what I saw."

(Report by Scott Knuteson, Air University Public Affairs.)

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OIF Summary; Nov. 1, 2008: Troops in Iraq Degrade al-Qaeda Networks, Nab 17 Suspects

Dispatches from the Front:

BAGHDAD, Nov. 1, 2008 -- Coalition forces detained 17 suspects during operations Friday and Saturday targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) networks throughout the country.

Friday near Qayyarah, about 60 km south of Mosul, forces targeted a man assessed to be an AQI facilitator. Forces captured the suspected terrorist and detained another man for further questioning.

Also Friday, forces detained five suspected terrorists in Bayji, about 160 km south of Mosul. One of them is an alleged AQI weapons transporter.

Two men suspected to be foreign terrorist facilitators were captured by Coalition forces Saturday in Mosul. The men, who reports suggest have connections to AQI leaders in the Jazeera Desert, were detained along with one additional suspect.

In Baghdad Saturday, forces targeted and captured an alleged AQI weapons and explosives facilitator. Reports also suggest the man has connections to AQI operatives throughout the region. Another man, assessed to be an associate of the suspected terrorist, was detained for further questioning.

Also Saturday, Coalition forces targeted another suspected weapons and explosives purchaser about 41 km west of Kirkuk. There, one suspect was detained for additional questioning.

A Fallujah-based car bomb facilitator was the target of an operation that netted two suspects Saturday about 43 km southwest of Baghdad.

Two more suspected terrorists were detained Saturday during another Coalition force operation targeting AQI leadership about 32 km southwest of Baghdad.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

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US Airpower Summary; Nov. 1, 2008: A-10s Deter Enemy Activities

An A-10 Thunderbolt II takes off from Bagram Air Field in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The nose art on the plane signifies that this A-10 is part of the "Flying Tigers" legacy dating back to the World War II era. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse.)

Dispatches from the Front:

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Nov. 1, 2008 -- Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Oct. 31, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.

In Afghanistan, coalition aircraft dropped guided bomb unit-38s and fired rockets onto enemy positions on a ridgeline in the vicinity of Qalat. The mission was confirmed a success by an on-scene joint terminal attack controller.

In the vicinity of Bari Kowt and Soltani, Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles conducted shows of force to provide armed aerial overwatch for a coalition convoy moving from one forward operating base to another. The JTACs reported the missions successful.

Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and F-15Es performed multi-flight shows of force to deter enemy activities and provide armed aerial overwatch for a coalition convoy in the vicinity of Jalalabad. The mission was declared a success by a JTAC.

In the vicinity of Monari, A-10s performed shows of force to deter enemy activities and provide armed aerial overwatch for a coalition convoy that had struck an IED. The missions was confirmed a success by a JTAC.

Coalition aircraft conducted shows of force to deter anti-Afghan activity in the vicinity of Farah. A JTAC reported the mission successful.

In total, 54 close-air-support missions were flown as part of the ISAF and Afghan security forces, reconstruction activities and route patrols.

Twelve Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft flew missions as part of operations in Afghanistan. Additionally, two coalition aircraft performed tactical reconnaissance.

In Iraq, coalition aircraft flew 47 close-air-support missions for Operation Iraqi Freedom. These missions integrated and synchronized with coalition ground forces, protected key infrastructure, provided overwatch for reconstruction activities and helped to deter and disrupt terrorist activities.

Thirty Air Force, Navy and coalition ISR aircraft flew missions as part of operations in Iraq. Additionally, three Air Force and coalition aircraft performed tactical reconnaissance.

Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft and C-17 Globemaster IIIs provided intra-theater heavy airlift, helping to sustain operations throughout Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa.

Approximately 140 airlift sorties were flown, nearly 600 tons of cargo delivered and more than 3,200 passengers were transported. This included approximately 72,000 pounds of troop resupply airdropped in Afghanistan.

Coalition C-130 crews flew as part of operations in Afghanistan or Iraq.

On Oct. 30, Air Force and coalition tanker crews flew 49 sorties and off-loaded approximately 3.5 million pounds of fuel to 264 receiving aircraft.

(Report from a U.S. Air Force news release.)

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Ohio National Guard Closes Communications Gap in Afghanistan

About 40 Soldiers from the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, pictured here, will provide Joint Node Network communications in Afghanistan. The JNN system will provide the infrastructure for the entire Afghanistan theatre with regular Internet, secure phones, secure Internet and voice teleconferencing capabilities, which has never been done before in Afghanistan. (Photo by Spc. Kimberly Johnson, Illinois National Guard.)

Dispatches from the Front:

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait, Nov. 1, 2008 -- The Ohio Army National Guard’s 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is making it’s presence felt in three key areas of Central Command: Kuwait, Iraq and now Afghanistan.

About 40 Soldiers from the brigade have been called in to set up Joint Node Network communications in Afghanistan.

“It’s a very important, high priority mission,” said Col. Richard T. Curry, the brigade commander. “The Soldiers who were selected were selected because of their unique skill set and the training they have accomplished over the last year.”

Currently, the infrastructure cannot support consistent, reliable communications in Afghanistan and hasn’t for quite some time.

Weather and other environmental issues also are wreaking havoc with the systems presently in use.

“Right now, they are not able to call in medical support the way we do in other theatres,” Curry said. “There is a communications gap up there. The biggest part of what we will be able to do is fill in that gap and by doing that, I absolutely believe we will be able to save lives in that theatre of operations.”

The JNN system will provide the infrastructure for the entire Afghanistan theatre with regular Internet, secure phones, secure Internet and voice teleconferencing capabilities, which has never been done before in Afghanistan.

“It comes down to the Army has a need. When there’s a need, our soldiers answer,” said Capt. Walter Work, the Task Force Dragon Blade commander. “We were called to serve and help out our fellow soldiers who are hurting as far as communication assets go.”

During three months of mobilization training at Fort Hood, Texas, the signal Soldiers of the 37th exceeded the expectations of their instructors.

“We have proven ourselves,” Work said. “The Soldiers we selected to go are the best of the best. We are honored and definitely taking our ‘A’ team to Afghanistan.”

(Report by Spc. Kimberly Johnson, 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.)

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AP: US Deaths in Iraq at Wartime Low in October

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2008 -- The Associated Press reported Friday that U.S. deaths in Iraq fell in October to their lowest monthly level of the war, matching the record low of 13 fatalities in July.

In Afghanistan, 15 U.S. military deaths were reported for October. The monthly toll in that combat theater had been in the 20s since June, when 28 Americans were killed.

The sharp drop in American fatalities in Iraq reflects the overall security improvements across the country following the Sunni revolt against al-Qaida and the rout suffered by Shiite extremists in fighting last spring in Basra and Baghdad.

But the decline also points to a shift in tactics by extremist groups, which U.S. commanders say are now focusing their attacks on Iraqi soldiers and police that are doing much of the fighting.

This is a developing story.

Official updates will be published when provided.

(Report from commercial news sources.)

Related: AP: US deaths in Iraq plunge to wartime low in October

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Flashback 2007; Combat Camera: Fear This at Camp Liberty, Iraq - Happy Halloween!

Fear the Mullet - Houston native, 1st Lt. Jamie Arrington, 610th Brigade Support Battalion Physicians Assistant, gets a laugh from the crowd as he poses in his "redneck" costume during the Company C, 610th BSB "Charlie Med" Halloween party at the Forward Operating Base Falcon, Troop Medical Clinic, Oct. 28. Photographer: Sgt. 1st Class Robert Timmons, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. (CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE)

Philadelphia native, Sgt. Charles Weber, a communication specialist with Company A, Division Special Troops Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, the winner of the best overall costume, poses for judges during a Halloween party at the 1st Cavalry Division’s morale, welfare and recreation field house, Oct. 27. Weber dressed up as former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick for the party. Photographer: Pfc. April Campbell, 27th Public Affairs Detachment. (CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE)

Memphis, Tenn., native, Spc. Latisha Martinez, an orderly room clerk with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Division Special Troops Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, receives her prize for winning the best female costume during a Halloween party sponsored by the division’s better opportunities for single soldiers program at the 1st Cav. Div.’s morale, welfare and recreation field house, Oct. 27. Photographer: Pfc. April Campbell, 27th Public Affairs Detachment. (CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE)

Jennings, La., native Staff Sgt. Russetta Celestine, Company A, Special Troops Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, shows off her costume, a mail room package, to the judges during a Halloween party costume competition at the Division Morale, Welfare and Recreation Field House at Camp Liberty in western Baghdad, Oct. 27. Celestine won the award for the most creative costume. Photographer: Pfc. April Campbell, 27th Public Affairs Detachment. (CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE)

Soldiers dance at a Halloween party at the 1st Cavalry Division Morale, Welfare and Recreation Field House at Camp Liberty in western Baghdad, Oct. 27. The party gave Soldiers a chance to have some fun with dancing, refreshments and a costume competition during the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers-sponsored event. Photographer: Pfc. April Campbell, 27th Public Affairs Detachment. (CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE)

From left: Spc. Jabari Jackson, Spec. Bobbie Jones, Staff Sgt. Gregory Arnold, Pfc. Moses Mouzone and Pfc. Shelton Hightower during a Halloween night concert at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation facility in FOB Marez. The five Soldiers make-up 'Strong Arm of the South,' a hip hop group they formed here in Iraq. Their music is an outlet for dealing with their deployment in Iraq, as well as a way to connect people back home with the Soldiers fighting the war, group members said. Photographer: Sgt. Antonieta Rico, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment. (CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE)

More Combat Camera Imagery on THE TENSION

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Guantanamo Detainee Transfer Announced

News in Balance:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2008 -- The U.S Department of Defense announced today the transfer of two detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. One detainee was transferred to Tajikistan and one to Kazakhstan. These detainees were determined to be eligible for transfer following a comprehensive series of review processes.

The transfer is a demonstration of the United States' desire not to hold detainees any longer than necessary. It also underscores the processes put in place to assess each individual and make a determination about their detention while hostilities are ongoing -- an unprecedented step in the history of warfare.

The Department of Defense has determined -- through its comprehensive review processes -- that approximately 60 detainees at Guantanamo are eligible for transfer or release. Departure of these detainees is subject to ongoing discussions between the United States and other nations.

Since 2002, more than 520 detainees have departed Guantanamo for other countries including Albania, Algeria, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belgium, Denmark, Egypt, France, Great Britain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom and Yemen.

There are approximately 255 detainees currently at Guantanamo.

(From a U.S. Defense Department press release.)

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US Army Looking to Field Test Flexible-Display Devices

Scientists from the Army's flexible display center demonstrate the bendable stainless steel foil flexible display. (Photo by U.S. Army.)

Focus on Defense:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2008 -- The Army is two to three years from field testing communication devices with flexible display screens, said the director of the Flexible Display Center at Arizona University, Dr. Gregory Raupp, in an interview with online journalists Tuesday.

The Army established the Flexible Display Center to advance flexible-display technology research and speed the commercialization of flexible-display screens for use in Soldier equipment.

"We're to the point now where we can see that commercialization of flexible displays will happen shortly," said Raupp. "We like to think of this as the dawn of the flexible-display age."

"We recognize that flexible-display technology is a new capability that will not only make the things we do now better," said Dr. David Morton, of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, "but will enable us to give the Soldiers information in ways we cannot do at the moment."

Devices with flexible displays will likely consume one one-hundredth the power of a comparably sized LCD-screen device, said Morton, but will weigh less and be more durable.

"The technologies we look at reduce the power, reduce the weight, provide better capability in almost all environments," Morton said.

"One of the concepts that we're investigating is having a flexible wrist display," said Morton. "Something that uses very little power, fits on the soldier's arm, and can provide him a map of where he is, where his friends are, where he needs to go, where the enemy is, perhaps update him with specific instructions on something, like how to enter a building. If he has it on his wrist and bangs it into a wall or he's crawling on the ground, it will not break."

Flexible displays will not only benefit Soldiers, however, but will present tremendous opportunities in industry, as well, said Raupp.

"Product designers are going to get a tremendous design freedom from the fact that they're no longer stuck with a glass, fragile, rectangular display," said Raupp. "They'll be able to put a display on any surface or a free-standing surface that could be unrolled."

"What we will be able to do with the technology is only limited by what you can think of," Raupp said.

(Report by Chris Gray-Garcia,with additional credit to Lindy Kyzer, Media Relations Division, Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, U.S. Army.)

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New Zealand Aircrew Assists US Airmen During Antarctica Mission

A Royal New Zealand Air Force P3-Orion lands on the ice runway at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. (Royal New Zealand Air Force photo.)

Focus on Defense:

HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii, Oct. 31, 2008 -- A Royal New Zealand Air Force aircrew assisted Airmen from the U.S. Pacific Command's Joint Task Force Support Forces Antarctica by delivering a mission essential part Oct. 27 to a disabled aircraft at Pegasus White Ice Runway, Antarctica.

An electronic engine controller and three Air Force aircraft maintainers were delivered by the RNZAF P-3K Orion to the disabled C-17 Globemaster III after one of its engines broke Oct. 26.

C-17s operated by aircrews from the 62nd Airlift Wing and 446th AW at McChord Air Force Base, Wash., carry cargo and personnel between Christchurch, New Zealand, and McMurdo Station, Antarctica. The missions are part of Operation Deep Freeze which supports the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Antarctic Program.

"I'd like to acknowledge and give special thanks to Antarctic New Zealand for answering our request for assistance so quickly," said Lt. Col. Jim McGann, 304th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron commander. "Their efforts reduced the C-17 ground time by a whopping 72 hours minimum. They were simply phenomenal."

Operation Deep Freeze, the Department of Defense's support to NSF and USAP, is unlike any other U.S. military operation. Operations are conducted in Antarctica, the coldest, windiest, highest, driest and most inhospitable continent on the globe.

Headquartered here and led by 13th Air Force, JTF SFA's mission is to provide air and sealift support to the NSF and USAP.

"The National Science Foundation, U.S. Air Force, Antarctica New Zealand and the Royal New Zealand Air Force have a great working relationship," said RNZAF Air Commodore Gavin Howse, air component commander. "As an exercise in international cooperation it was fantastic that we were able to assist. It is also nice to know, that should we find ourselves in a similar situation, we can rely on their support."

(Report by by Capt. Genieve David, JTF Support Forces Antarctica Public Affairs.)

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OIF Summary; Oct. 31, 2008: Troops in Iraq Kill Terrorist Leader, Nab Suspects

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2008 -- Coalition forces in Iraq killed a terrorist leader and captured 10 suspects today and yesterday in their ongoing effort to break up terrorist groups across the country, military officials said.

In one of the captures, coalition troops nabbed a key member of the Iranian-sponsored Asaib Ahl al-Haq terrorist network today in the New Baghdad area of the capital city, officials said.

Acting on intelligence information, troops targeted the man believed responsible for financing militant operations against Iraqi and coalition forces. The troops moved in on the wanted man's location where he identified himself to them. He and an associate were apprehended without incident.

The coalition continued to derail al-Qaida in Iraq's car- and roadside-bomb networks, killing one man and detaining nine suspects in the past two days, officials said.

In Mosul yesterday, troops targeted an alleged bomb facilitator. When forces entered the building believed to house the suspect, a man engaged them with a pistol, officials said, and coalition forces killed him in self-defense. Three suspects were detained during the operation.

A man believed to be a regional al-Qaida in Iraq leader, whose operatives conducted roadside-bomb and rocket attacks against coalition forces, was captured today near Tikrit, about 100 miles north of Baghdad, officials said. During the operation, forces discovered multiple mortar rounds, explosive materials, trigger devices and other supplies. The suspected terrorist and four men believed to be his associates were detained, they said.

Forces operating in Sulayman Bak, about 52 miles southeast of Mosul, captured a man believed to be a bomb facilitator, officials said.

This week’s captures are the latest in ongoing efforts to break up bomb networks in the country. This month alone, coalition forces apprehended 39 Iranian-sponsored militants and seized nearly $500,000 for support of terrorism in Iraq, officials said.

Also in Iraq this week:

• Coalition soldiers detained two suspected terrorists Oct. 29 and yesterday in southern Baghdad's Rashid district.

• Residents’ tips Oct. 29 led Iraqi National Police and coalition soldiers to weapons caches in Baghdad that included a 122 mm artillery round and a 120 mm mortar round in the West Rashid district.

• A sheik with the “Sons of Iraq” citizen security group turned in a 160 mm high explosive round with a bag of bomb components to U.S. soldiers.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

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Petraeus Takes Helm of US Central Command (CENTCOM)

News in Balance:

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., Oct. 31, 2008 -- Army Gen. David H. Petraeus assumed leadership of the U.S. military command charged with helping to build peace in a tough and war-torn part of the world today.

Petraeus took the reins of U.S. Central Command from acting commander Army Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey in a ceremony here.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates presided over the change of command held at the base’s Memorial Park.

“General Petraeus, you are again taking responsibility for our precious sons and daughters,” Gates said. “I have no doubt they will continue to make you and me – indeed all Americans – very proud.”

Petraeus now has responsibility for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He must deal with the threat that Iranian pursuit of nuclear weapons poses to the region and world. He also must deal with an unstable government in Pakistan. U.S. Central Command reaches from Kazakhstan to Yemen and Egypt to Kyrgyzstan.

Petraeus commanded Multinational Force Iraq during the troop surge that turned the tide in Iraq’s security. Violence dropped in Iraq, and most of the country has returned to Iraqi control.

Before the change of command ceremony, Gates presented Dempsey with the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and Marine Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Morin, U.S. Central Command’s senior enlisted leader, with the Defense Superior Service Medal.

The Senate has confirmed Dempsey for his fourth star and the post of commander U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe, Va. Dempsey – who was deputy commander of CentCom – took over as acting commander upon the retirement of Navy Adm. William J. Fallon in March. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John R. Allen succeeded Dempsey today in CentCom’s No. 2 post.

“I recall my first meeting with Marty Dempsey after he took the reins of CentCom,” Gates said in his remarks. “He gave me a sheet of paper outlining the priorities for this command and asked for my guidance. After hearing what Marty had to say, I simply held up his own sheet of paper and said, ‘This is my guidance to you’ – a testament to his strategic vision and pragmatism, which he possesses in extra measure.”

Dempsey has been far more than a place-holder at U.S. Central Command, Gates said, and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, agreed.

“Here at CentCom, Marty truly made the words ‘acting commander’ a contradiction in terms,” Mullen said during the ceremony. “For there was nothing ‘acting’ about the way Marty has exercised the full spectrum of command throughout his entire area of responsibility. Nothing ‘acting’ about the way he orchestrated two wars at a critical time in our nation’s history.”

There also was nothing “acting” about his coordination with fellow combatant commanders and his management of the transition of Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa to U.S. Africa Command last month, Mullen said.

“Through it all, Marty has always placed the warfighter at the forefront – a priority that he made clear on Day One – and he has responded at every turn with a quiet confidence that earned my admiration and that of countless others under his command and throughout the region,” the secretary said.

Gates next addressed the challenges awaiting Petraeus. “At the MNF-I change of command a few weeks ago, I said that history will regard him as one of our nation’s great battle captains,” Gates said. “He is the preeminent soldier-scholar-statesman of his generation, and precisely the man we need in this command at this time.”

The troops under his command, “dealt our enemies in Iraq a tremendous blow,” Gates said. “Now he will take aim at our adversaries in Afghanistan and lead security capacity efforts throughout the Middle East, the Gulf and Central Asia.”

Mullen said that America has great expectations as Petraeus takes command here. “His watchwords – learn and adapt – have echoed from the streets of Baghdad to the halls of Washington,” the chairman said.

He said Petraeus and Dempsey have “fired the minds of generations to understand the true purpose of power as a force for good: To listen in order to understand; to treat all cultures as equals, with dignity and respect; to admit quickly when we are wrong; and to share risk with those we protect – all in order to build trust.”

Building trust among all peoples of the Middle East is the priority of the command, Mullen said. “The progress of peace, and the speed of that progress, depends upon the quality of trust Dave and this command will be able to achieve throughout the broader Middle East, and how he will build upon the lessons Marty has brought forward to this very moment,” the chairman said.

While the challenges of the region may not require the same strategies Petraeus used in Iraq, he can build on that experience as he moves forward, Mullen said. “Dave, it is now your turn, with a new, broader aperture,” the chairman said. “And we have great expectations ahead.”

Both Petraeus and Dempsey are graduates of the U.S. Military Academy’s class of 1974.

Representatives of many of the partner nations attended the ceremony and Gates had a special welcome for them. The secretary thanked them for their support in Central Command.

“The United States has had enduring interests in this part of the world for many decades under presidents of both political parties,” he said. “We will continue to have a presence there, standing strong with our friends and allies.”

Gates also praised the efforts of American troops serving in U.S. Central Command. “CentCom went on a war footing when our country was attacked and has not let up since,” he said. “For seven years, those who serve in this command have bravely stepped forward and, when necessary, unsheathed the sword on our enemies.

“I’ve heard it said that ‘communism didn’t fall, it was pushed.’ Likewise, violent extremism will neither crumble nor fade away of its own accord,” the secretary continued. “It will be the valor, grit and fighting spirit of you – the men and women of U.S. Central Command – that will give heart to our friends while pursuing terrorists where they hide, wrecking their malevolent designs and keeping them far from our shores.”

The men and women of U.S. Central Command have sacrificed for all Americans, and “we cannot thank you enough,” Mullen said. “It doesn’t take ceremonies like this to celebrate the confidence of a grateful nation in our men and women in uniform, here in Tampa, and throughout the world, who choose lives of great sacrifice, and along with their families, bear heroic burdens, and honor us all.”

(Report by Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service.)

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US Airpower Summary; Oct. 31, 2008: F-15Es Keep Vigilant Overwatch

An F-15E Strike Eagle takes off from a Southwest Asia air base. The F-15E is a dual-role fighter designed to perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Morse.)

Dispatches from the Front:

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Oct. 31, 2008 -- Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Oct. 30, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.

In Afghanistan, a Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet dropped a guided bomb unit-38 onto anti-Afghan forces as they moved a weapons cache from a building to a hole dug in the ground in the vicinity of Sangin. Furthermore, the F/A-18s performed shows of force to deter further enemy activity in the area. The missions were confirmed a success by an on-scene joint terminal attack controllers.

In the vicinity of Garmser, an Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle and a coalition aircraft conducted shows of force to provide armed aerial overwatch and scan a line of compounds in the area. A JTAC reported the mission successful.

F-15Es performed multi-flight shows of force to deter enemy activities in the vicinity of Sheykhabad and near Malek Din. The missions were declared successful by the JTACs.

In the vicinity of Musa Qaleh and near Shurakian, a Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet and another coalition aircraft performed multi-flight shows of force to deter enemy activities and provide armed aerial overwatch for a coalition convoy in the areas. The missions were confirmed a success by the JTACs.

In total, 67 close-air-support missions were flown as part of the ISAF and Afghan security forces, reconstruction activities and route patrols.

Fourteen Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft flew missions as part of operations in Afghanistan. Additionally, two Navy aircraft performed tactical reconnaissance.

In Iraq, coalition aircraft flew 44 close-air-support missions for Operation Iraqi Freedom. These missions integrated and synchronized with coalition ground forces, protected key infrastructure, provided overwatch for reconstruction activities and helped to deter and disrupt terrorist activities.

Twenty-four Air Force, Navy and coalition ISR aircraft flew missions as part of operations in Iraq. Additionally, two Air Force aircraft performed tactical reconnaissance.

Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft and C-17 Globemaster IIIs provided intra-theater heavy airlift, helping to sustain operations throughout Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa.

Approximately 150 airlift sorties were flown, more than 600 tons of cargo delivered and nearly 4,800 passengers were transported. This included approximately 43,000 pounds of troop resupply airdropped in Afghanistan.

Coalition C-130 crews flew as part of operations in Afghanistan or Iraq.

On Oct. 29, Air Force and coalition tanker crews flew 49 sorties and off-loaded approximately 3.2 million pounds of fuel to 254 receiving aircraft.

(Report from a U.S. Air Force news release.)

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USS San Antonio Embodies Texas Namesake's Heritage

The amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio (LPD 17) transits the Persian Gulf in this photo taken October 24. Iwo Jima is deployed as part of the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) supporting maritime security operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Michael Starkey.)

An MH-60S Sea Hawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 26 passes by the amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio (LPD 17) during a vertical replenishment, October 2. San Antonio is deployed as part of the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group supporting maritime security operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Chad R. Erdmann.)

Focus on Defense:

USS SAN ANTONIO, At Sea, Oct. 31, 2008 -- The amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio (LPD 17) shares more than just the name of Texas city throughout the ship, there are constant reminders and mannerisms that allude to the rich history of the city of San Antonio.

San Antonio's historical roots are the foundation for the city that is rapidly moving forward into the 21st century, much like the technologically advanced LPD, which builds on accomplishments of prior LPDs and steams towards the future.

"USS San Antonio is the most high-tech, advanced amphibious ship ever built," said former Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton at the ship's announcement ceremony in 1996. "It is an honor to name such an important new combat ship after San Antonio, the site of the battle of the Alamo."

"The battle of the Alamo inspires persistence, determination, and ultimate victory," stated Cmdr. Kurt Kastner, San Antonio's commanding officer. "LPD 17 carries these qualities within her wherever she sails."

San Antonio's motto, "Never Retreat, Never Surrender" comes from the speech made by Lt. Col. William Barret Travis in 1836 at the battle of the Alamo.

"I am besieged by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under [General] Santa Anna," said Travis. "I have sustained a continual bombardment and cannonade for 24 hours and have not lost a man. I shall never surrender or retreat!"

San Antonio's mess deck "King Ranch Café" borrows its name from the cattle grounds in San Antonio, Texas, where cattle were herded and raised for food.

"The names on the backs of the chairs in the mess decks are the names of the people who fought in the battle of the Alamo," stated Kastner.

The San Antonio-area Navy League extended an open invitation to USS San Antonio to attend two annual festivals in the city, the Battle of the Alamo Remembrance and navy week.

"During the month of April, the city remembers the Battle of the Alamo and the fight the citizens of the city put up to defend the border between the newly forming United States and Mexico," said Lt. j.g. Kathleen Friel, the ship's navigator. "Later in the year during the month of November, San Antonio celebrates navy week.

The festivals give Sailors the opportunity to attend dinner receptions, parades and the Alamo remembrances."

The city of San Antonio also boasts several military installations.

"The city of San Antonio has a rich history of military members in all branches and is affectionately called 'military city USA' because of the five military bases located within its limits," added Kastner.

To further their relationship with the city, USS San Antonio has recently started an adopt-a-school partnership with a local elementary school.

"USS San Antonio was looking for a partnership program with a school in San Antonio, Texas, and Dorie Miller Elementary School was selected," said Kastner.

Continued ties to the city of San Antonio will assure that future Sailors and Marines who serve aboard LPD 17 remember and honor the ship's proud heritage.

San Antonio is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to conduct maritime security operations (MSO). MSO helps develop security in the maritime environment. From security arises stability that results in global economic prosperity. MSO complements the counterterrorism and security efforts of regional nations and seek to disrupt violent extremists' use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material.

(Report by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW) Brian Goodwin, Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group Public Affairs.)

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